Angels and Demons
by dinabar
Summary: Harry and Nikki attend a New Years Eve Party, a university fund raiser but all does not go to plan.  Harry struggles with his emotions as Nikki is determined to find someone  else  to snog at midnight.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All Silent Witness characters belong to the BBC, except a guest reference to Bruce Willis who belongs to himself. The story has nothing whatever to do with Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, just seemed the best title.**

**This may be a little early for a New Year story, but I did start it in August. Good news for you is that it's finished (mostly) so the uploads shouldn't be too sporadic. Hope you enjoy the ride. Thanks in advance to all you lovely people who will take the time to review.**

Angels and Demons

Harry was lounging against a wall in the hotel lobby waiting. He felt ridiculous. He hadn't worn a dinner jacket in years and this one, he tried not to think about it. He hated these kind of events, the dressing up, the small talk and the £80 plate charge. He was supposed to be one of the guests. He shook is head and realised that his hair was already heading towards disaster levels. It was 7:35pm where were they? He felt like he'd been waiting for hours already.

Four women hurried through to the ballroom, but not before they caught Harry's eye. They had obviously had a drink on the way over and on seeing him all broke out into peals of laughter and his already bad mood began to deteriorate. Even they thought he looked ridiculous.

"Where have they been hiding him?" he heard one of them say.

"He doesn't work in my building, I'll tell you that because if he did, I'm sure I would know. Not unless he scrubs up really well."

They all laughed again.

"Well, maybe this university fund raiser won't be so bad after all."

"Did you see those trousers?" and with that they stumbled through into the ballroom to find their table.

See! other people thought he looked ridiculous too. The shop assistant who served him when he went to get the suit couldn't stop telling him how 'gorgeous' he looked in it. But then he did seem to have been channelling Gok Wan the whole time.

All he had wanted was to have been left alone to find one that fitted. But no. He was admired, and the suit was poked and stroked. He shivered, he didn't really go for stroking, not by sales assistants anyway. The sales 'Gok' kept insisting that he try different pairs of trousers until his butt was shown off to his best advantage. Harry tried to explain that all he wanted to do was to be able to sit down comfortably and not show off 6 inches of sock. But Gok seemed to have more important style features in mind. And a pressing desire to ogle his bum as he was made to walk up and down.

He reminisced glumly about the dinner jacket he had at university, it had been brilliant. His mate Dave had found it in a charity shop for a tenner and as they were at different colleges, they didn't often have social occasions warranting a dinner jacket on the same night, so they just passed it backwards and forwards between them. It was a tiny bit short on him he would admit, but it was cheap and did the job. It was a shame Dave used it last and kept in by default. The most recent one never recovered from the pina colada that Nikki had spilled on it at that Institute Dinner. It had been cleaned but it only made the stain fainter and then it looked even more embarrassing. This current get up although unstained, was anything but cheap and he was only hiring it.

Why wasn't Nikki here yet? The only thing that could possibly make this evening tolerable was that his best friend was going to be there. The university in their wisdom had decided to lay on this charity New Year dinner, open to all the faculty and students. They were raising money for some of the extra counselling services that were provided after the shootings earlier in the year and some building development work they were planning. He and Nikki were even supposed to be being recognised for bravery or some such later in the evening. There had even been rumours that Boris* was supposed to be turning up at some point. No doubt he would make some bumbling speech about the British stiff upper lip. It wasn't him that watched his class mates slaughtered thought Harry bitterly.

Plenty more people were arriving, but none of them Nikki. He wished he'd gone to pick her up himself but as her flat was on route from Leo's it made sense that she should share a taxi with him and Janet. Harry watched the people milling about in the lobby. The tables were all arranged in faculty groups and he had no trouble spotting the psychology department when they arrived. They were an odd looking bunch of people. He was just mentally reprimanding himself about social stereotyping when eight men all looking more awkward and out of place than he did wandered through...'Computer scientists' thought Harry.

He checked his watch again and wondered why he was so nervous.

_*** Boris Johnson Mayor of London **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Rating an overcautious T only a few naughty words I promise**

He knew the answer really. On nights like these there was no way to pretend that your best friend was not a beautiful woman. He had fancied her from the first moment he had laid eyes on her of course. When Leo asked her to join the lab full time, he realised very quickly that if he was going to be able to focus on his work at all, he would have to put his emotions well out of the way. And it had worked like a charm. He blocked out all the messages that told him she was a woman and acted as if she was just one of the lads. She wasn't that well endowed and scrubs did nothing for your curves and before long she was just Nikki. They were a team, they made each other laugh, they watched each others backs and at times they had some good fights.

But there were cracks in the charade. Every so often something would crop up and he found himself staring at her. The bra incident for one. It was very hard to pretend your colleague was not a woman when she was taking off her bra in front of you. Or the times when she was in danger. He was so grateful to have her back, he couldn't think of anything more. Losing her would be like losing a limb to him, not a lover.

Then of course there were the boyfriends. Suddenly she was not just one of the lads anymore, she was Nikki. His Nikki. And the way those men treated her made him so angry. But even worse, was her flirting with the unsuitable morons and letting them treat her that way that put him into a silent fury and turmoil of jealousy. Because although he flirted with her and she laughed at his jokes she never acted towards him in the same way as she did with those scumbags.

You might think that the more intimate times they shared would be what set his heart racing. The hugs, the kiss on the cheek. But no, he imagined it was a bit like kissing your sister. Not that he had a sister but something like that.

No the times when he was nearly knocked off his feet by her, could be mid way through a fight with her eyes shining, her brain racing, countering any of his arguments. She would end up winning then as he would suddenly be paralysed at the sight of her.

Or the sight of her smiling in triumph having just proved by demonstration her theory on a blunt force trauma, complete with blood spattered hair, safety spec.s and baseball bat. Surely that wasn't normal?

And then there were those very rare times when neither of them had their defensive masks on, no jokes, no put downs, no hiding, just barefaced honesty where they seemed to stare into each other souls and dare to believe that rejection would not be found there.

All the flirting and horseplay compensated he thought for the lack of real emotion most of the time. It would only end badly if he tried to take things any further. So he consoled himself by making lewd suggestions in the hope that if he made them sound jokey enough she wouldn't guess how true they really were. And then of course there was that night in the pub, the fact that he spent most of his life convincing himself that she was not an attractive woman was one thing, but her actually believing it about herself. He couldn't bear it. She had everything, brains, looks, sense of humour personality and yet was plagued by self doubt, no doubt that accounted for the string of no hope boyfriends. But now was not the time to go down that path.

And so tonight. New Years Eve, he knew she'd bought a new dress as she'd taken the afternoon off last week to go shopping. She looked very pleased with herself the following day and had told him straight off that she had got it on special and that he wouldn't like it. He hoped that were true, as it would make his evening a whole lot easier. Watching her flirt with every available man in the room was not high on his favourite entertainment list.

It was 8:15 and Harry was growing more morbid by the second, surely she couldn't be taking that long to get ready. And with that thought the door flew open and in stumbled the three of them. They were huddled in coats, faces reddened by the cold wind and gasping at the sudden warm air of the hotel.

"Harry, hi!" Nikki called brightly from across the lobby. "We're really sorry we're late, you wouldn't believe it, our taxi skidded on some ice and bumped another taxi. The two drivers went berserk at each other and we've had to walk from the other side of the park!"

Janet was looking less than impressed by the adventure and taking a quick look at her heels Harry could guess why. Nikki however was thriving on the excitement, her cheeks still flushed pink even in the warm of the lobby. That or she'd already started drinking which he thought with a sigh would make it a long time until midnight.

The trio walked across to the coat check and Leo helped remove Janet's coat and handed it over and then took Nikki's. Nikki was still looking towards Harry and he couldn't be certain but he was sure he saw Leo wince as he took her coat.

Harry however was transfixed. How could Nikki have thought he wouldn't like the dress? It was a cream, shift dress. Plain, cut to just above the knee and with some kind of floaty material over the top that fell in gentle folds or rolls at the neck line. Apart from the length it was not unlike the kind of robe a Greek goddess would wear. It was stylish, simple and he thought with great relief not at all tarty.

He prised himself away from his wall, slightly surprised that he hadn't left an impression in it, as he'd been stood there for so long and went to greet them. He kissed Janet, told her she looked lovely and shook hands with Leo. He put his arm around Nikki's waist and leant in to kiss her on the cheek, he was about to tell her she looked beautiful, when his hand connected not with the back of her dress but with her bare skin. He spun her round to reveal her bare back. The wispy folds of fabric at the front continued over her shoulder and created an inverted arch at the base of her spine. The fabric following the line of her arms, completing a loop that fell just below the dimples at the base of her back and seemingly with only millimetres to spare actually covered her bum.

"I told you, you wouldn't like it." she laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

After missing a heartbeat, Harry looked up to see Leo glaring at him, he jogged quickly after Nikki and whispered into her ear.

"Nikki, I think there might be a problem."

"Problem?" she questioned.

"Yes," he whispered again, "I think you might have forgotten to put the back of your dress on."

"Oh," she gasped, playing along. "Is there anything there?"

Harry theatrically took in her rear view.

"Not much." he said seriously.

By now Nikki had begun to giggle.

"I know why it was on special." he continued. "Half of it's missing!"

"Come on Harry lighten up, it's New Year's Eve and I'm determined to find someone to snog me at midnight, I thought this might open up a wider range of opportunities."

'It's going to open up a lot of something' Harry was thinking, hoping it wasn't trouble.

"No really Harry, do you think it suits me?" Nikki asked.

"Yes it does," Harry pronounced after taking the opportunity to look deep into her eyes.

"It's perfect for you."

"Thanks Harry" she replied happily, skipping after Leo.

"Come on," she called back to him, "But not too fast, I don't want everyone to think we've come together or I'll never get my pick of the midnight men."

"Did anyone hit their head in that taxi?" Harry called after Leo, but his question remained unanswered.

Harry checked his watch again 8:25, it was still a long time until midnight.

He hadn't lied of course, the dress was perfect for her, for both of them really. It succinctly summed up their whole relationship. The front side was the plain side of the dress, but with the hints of Greek goddess. This was his Nikki at work, the one he admired for her passion, her determination and intellect. The one he was in awe of, the one that he'd had a crush on for years and now worshipped from a distance. The one he would risk his life for, to find her when she was lost, or rescue when she was in trouble. It was the unobtainable Nikki, the one he'd placed high up on a pedestal, the one that he couldn't bare to get close to in case he infected her with his cynicism, and anger.

Then of course there was the rear of the dress (or lack of it). This was the flirty Nikki . The one who could take men home only hours after meeting them, and discard them the following day. The outgoing one who could laugh, get drunk, smile and flaunt her sexuality with anyone but him. The one who could make him unspeakably angry. The one that recurred in his dreams, caught in some quick frantic coupling that left neither of them satisfied. And were it ever to occur in reality, would end up with him being the one dismissed from her presence and banished forever.

She really didn't make things easy for him, why couldn't she just have stuck to the one role tonight. He had been preparing himself all day to withstand an evening of tarty Nikki, but now she had gone and brought along her sensible side as well. He knew the only way a relationship between the two of them would ever stand a chance would be if he could ever marry the two parts of her personality together in his mind and now she was going to spend the night sitting next to him, flashing both the halves with her dress at every move.

'Angels and Demons' he muttered to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the encouragment everyone enjoy the ride.**

The ballroom was mostly full by now. Harry spotted the computer scientists looking relieved now they had made it to their table near the back and the wine was flowing. There were a few other tables with people he didn't recognise and then the physiology department. Next to them was a table of scruffy students. He wondered how on earth they had afforded to get in, but then there was some sliding scale of prices he didn't understand. Being Home Office and not actually on University staff had done nothing to bring down the price of his seat. On looking more closely the students were actually dressed for the occasion it was the morbid array of body piercings and hair styles that let them down. Why would someone voluntarily put a piece of metal through their chin that made it look like they had an enormous zit on their face? Surely teenage skin was bad enough. One of them even had earrings that looked like reverse horns.

Harry scanned towards the front trying to spot Leo. The tables all seated eight and the chairs were dressed in white with gold trim, it looked like a load of blinged up ghosts had infested the place. More ghosts he thought sadly, who needed that. What was the fashion of covering the chairs in cloth? Surely the management weren't expecting such appalling behaviour that this made the cleaning bill cheaper?

'At least' he thought to himself, 'as soon as she sits down her nakedness wouldn't be quite so obvious'

He made his way through the other tables towards the front of the hall. They were up near the guests of honour at the front and were sharing their table with some of the security guards who had also helped out on that awful day. He smiled with relief as he saw George. He had had a lot of good conversations with George over the years. George had been an ambulance driver back in the day, but he kept it very quiet. He'd given it up when the paperwork mushroomed. It wasn't that he didn't have the skills, it just all became too much. He had found life rather quiet after his wife had passed away and took a job as a security guard. It was just enough to keep busy without being overwhelming and provided a constant stream of interesting people to talk to.

"George!" Harry greeted him warmly and shook him vigorously by the hand.

"I didn't know you were coming, my evening is looking up already." Harry continued.

"Are you sure?" asked George cocking his head towards Nikki,

"You alright mate?" he added more quietly.

Harry just rolled his eyes, it answered the question perfectly.

Next to George was Big Steve and his girlfriend who introduced herself as Sarah, and finally Tyrell.

"Looks like we've got too many men to do the boy/girl seating plan" said Leo.

"I think we're fine as we are," added Sarah. It was clear to everyone that she was quite happy to have Steve sandwiched between herself and George, with Nikki across the table, keeping his opportunity for the rear view to a minimum.

So Harry sat next to George, Nikki between Harry and Leo and Janet next to Tyrell.

"Steve" Nikki suddenly exclaimed "You never told me you got engaged!"

"Yes," said Steve proudly but sheepishly.

"I asked Sarah on Christmas Day, I'd wrapped the ring in a box and everything. I couldn't believe she said 'yes'." Steve was smiling widely.

"That is the best news I've heard in ages." Nikki said kindly, standing and leaning across the table to kiss Steve and admire the engagement ring.

Harry tuned out of the next part of the conversation, Nikki was practically laying across the table in front of him, her bare skin inches from his face. He tried to concentrate on breathing slowly and he was relieved to be sitting down.

"Well, at least she doesn't have any tattoos." whispered George.

Harry gave him a hard stare, but didn't trust himself to speak.

George looked around the room and back to Harry.

"I think there might be trouble tonight." he whispered again.

Harry didn't even need the eye roll that time.


	5. Chapter 5

Fortunately for Harry the first course arrived and Nikki had to sit back down. He'd overheard Tyrell asking Janet if she didn't find it a bit creepy living with a pathologist. The conversation hadn't lasted long so he guessed 'forensic anthropologist' hadn't worked well for small talk either.

On the other hand George was waxing lyrical about the scrapping of the Harrier jump jets and what a breakthrough in engineering technology they had been, and briefly Harry had started to relax.

"You two are being very serious over there" came Nikki's voice from over the soup.

"Ah yes, we were discussing the role of police in the shooting crisis, and were just mentioning that it was a shame that they weren't allowed to be here at the dinner too." Harry lied.

Nikki narrowed her eyes and stared at the two of them. She knew Harry was lying, she could always tell, but why he was lying, that was the more interesting question.

George continued "those specially trained coppers, the ones with all the gear, they were really good what are they called?"

"SWAT?" asked Tyrell

"No, that's the American lot, you watch too much telly son." said George

"Special forces?" put in Sarah.

"Commandoes!" announced Big Steve and immediately received a hard stare from his fiancée and a sharp kick under the table.

"Anyway, whoever they were, they were really useful and it's just a shame they couldn't be here." George said sympathetically.

Nikki wasn't allowing Harry to get away with it that easily. She leaned in very close and very sternly but in a voice hardly above a whisper asked,

"Have you and George been discussing whether or not I am wearing underwear?"

'Every man in this room has been discussing whether or not you're wearing underwear,' Harry thought but he knew better than to say it out loud, he put on his best innocent angelic face and feigned hurt.

"I can't believe you would think such a thing? Actually George and I were discussing the sad demise of the Harrier jump jet."

And now Nikki didn't know what to believe. She looked across at George, he was just smiling and nodding gently.

"Lovely soup eh?" commented George.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Dedicated to all those lovely people out there, born after 1980's... This chapter was inspired by a short scene written by Jesse Car Martindale in the Dempsey and Makepeace episode called 'Judgement'. It's out there on YouTube about 6mins into the episode if you're interested. I'd love to hear your views...answers on a postcard..._**

**_Thanks for the reviews so far, glad you're enjoying the ride._**

"Who wants to play a game?" asked George over the main course.

There were groans from Leo and Harry, but Janet and Nikki rallied the others with cries of:

"Come on you lot, it is Christmas! Well it was Christmas"

"How do we play?" they continued.

Harry took another swig of his wine, draining his glass, it was only his first but he hesitated to refill it. He was still uneasy and having a skinful tonight didn't seem quite prudent. He poured in some mineral water and looked across to George.

"Oh, it's not a game as such, you just have to choose four words that describe your ideal holiday." George explained.

"That's easy," Sarah began delighted. "We've already decided where our honeymoon is going to be, we're going to Mexico, it's going to be hot, relaxing, beautiful and erm"

"Exciting." Added Steve.

"Good, good, that's the stuff." said George. "Who's next?"

"My ideal holiday?" scoffed Tyrell. "I can't remember the last time I took a holiday! So mine would be: soon, long, anywhere and doing just what I wanted."

"What's all this in aid of?" asked Leo, "I thought you said this was a game?"

"Oh, it is, it is," chuckled George, "just be patient. Who's next?"

"I'll go," said Janet. "Quiet, private, lots of fresh air and good food."

"hmm, I could go along with that" said Leo, "but maybe with some beautiful scenery and some exercise."

"Who wants a quiet holiday?" asked Nikki.

"Not everyone considers a night in the local prison, a necessary part of their holiday." muttered Leo.

"Oh, that's unfair" Nikki said. "And anyway that wasn't a holiday, we were all working in South Africa."

"My holiday would be adventurous, hot, familiar and wild." Nikki announced.

"Go on Harry," prompted George "You must have a dream holiday."

"I don't know, I haven't really done a holiday for a while, and family holidays as a child surely don't count."

"Come on Harry, everyone else has had a turn." Nikki whined "and there's no way George is going to tell us what all this is about unless you've had a turn."

"Oh all right then, a holiday is a time to be passionate about something other than work, exotic, fulfilling and alcohol fuelled."

"So come on then George, what's all this about?" asked Leo.

"Oh, it's something a doctor friend of mine told me once, if you ask someone to describe their perfect holiday in four words it actually describes their attitude to sex." he chuckled.

"George that's terrible!" Nikki stuttered.

"I'm not the one who said those things" said George with a glint in his eye.

"What was it again," asked Harry eager to cash in on her discomfort, "wild and adventurous. Who knew?"

"I seem to remember yours being 'exotic, passionate and alcohol fuelled'" Nikki shot back.

"Steady you two." Leo warned, we haven't even got to dessert yet.


	7. Chapter 7

"Well, who's going to help me?" Nikki asked.

"Why?" asked Sarah

"Well, I'm determined to find someone to snog at midnight, anyone got any suggestions?"

Sarah looked alarmed and gave Steve another of her trademark stares. He remained oblivious to her and concentrated on his dessert.

"Not this again," muttered Harry under his breath and then louder, I think they've even rolled out the Chancellor of the University on that table over there, what about him?"

"He's 75, if he's a day!" spluttered Nikki.

"Ah, so it's not just anyone, there are rules then... no over 70's" said Harry unkindly.

"What about the vice chancellor?" Leo asked with a smirk.

Leo, Harry noted was well ahead on the alcohol intake ladder.

"The one sitting next to his trophy wife?" put in Nikki. "Perhaps not."

"So is that a no to married men, or just a no to married men with trophy wives?" Janet joined in.

"It's a no to the over 50's and the marrieds," Nikki stated emphatically.

"There's a table of students at the back!" Tyrell suggested unhelpfully.

"Look you lot, there must be some decent men in the room, that are unattached and under 50 and over teenage acne. Is it that much to ask?"

"I think I saw a table of guys at the back, the computer nerds, any of them look promising?" Harry prompted.

"What the one's on the table next to the students with the bodyart?" replied Nikki glumly.

"Yep, that's them," said Harry.

"I was kind of hoping for someone a bit more..." Nikki trailed off.

"Adventurous, hot, familiar and wild." suggested George.

Nikki blushed crimson,

"No, I agree love, the computer bods are just not going to cut it. It seems to me that you've got yourself two choices."

"Two?" questioned Nikki, I don't mean to be rude George, but I'm pretty sure you're going to be in the over 50 category."

"Not me you crazy girl! You've got Tyrell here, young handsome and up and coming and then there's always Harry of course."

"Thanks!" said Tyrell, looking pleased with himself. "I'll give it a go. You're not really my type though, kind of on the pale side if you know what I mean."

"Thanks a bunch." said Nikki, glaring at Leo and Janet who were doing nothing to stifle their giggles.

"Well, Harry it is then." declared George.

Now it was Harry's turn to glare at George but it was lost amid Nikki's reply.

"Oh, come on now. Harry doesn't fancy me, do you Harry? He thinks I'm too tarty, don't you Harry."

There was a slight pause before Harry replied,

"Yes I do."

But it was only Nikki at the table, who thought Harry was answering the second question.

Harry's palms were sweating, he was glad he'd kept to just the one glass of wine. This was turning out to be even trickier than he had imagined. He thought George was his friend but he just seemed intent on stirring things up. So instead of picking a fight Harry decided it was a good time to excuse himself and went in search of the bathroom.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok lovely readers, we take a little detour here, and things get a bit darker for a while. But keep thinking fairy tale and suspend you're disbelief for me and we'll all be fine. I hope the storyline works, I'm sure there are flaws, let me know what you think. D**

Having had a chance to cool off in the bathroom, Harry was surprised just how hot the ballroom was when he went back in. Almost uncomfortably hot. He'd have to take off his jacket. It was probably one of the high-ups wives insisting she was cold, that had made them crank up the heat. There seemed to be even more students huddled around the table at the back with the pierced students. Harry found it odd that there were so many, they seemed to be discussing something intently and it probably wasn't the Christmas number one. 'Students' he scoffed, so passionate, so full of dreams where does it all go?

"Where have you been?"asked Leo. "You missed the big speech!"

"Oh, sorry" muttered Harry "did I really miss anything?"

"Not much actually," admitted Nikki. "Boris came on, thanked us all for our support and hard work etc. promised a review of spending cuts to higher education and banged on for a bit about our freedom to raise tuition fees, got heckled by one of the spotty students at the back, bumbled on for a bit more and then cleared off."

"I've not been gone that long." insisted Harry, "it must have been short." It did explain the heated discussion he'd witnessed on his way back in though.

"If you ask me, he's got somewhere else he needs to be, and they're higher up the totem pole than we are." Janet said and everyone agreed.

The Chancellor and the big wigs of the place had all been moved up to the raised area at the front, whilst Harry had been out of the room. Jennifer Mears was up to speak next. She had the onerous task of reading out the names of the victims. There had been questions as to whether or not this was an appropriate occasion but it really was the one time when the staff and students affected were altogether and so it had been given the go ahead. Leo was smiling reassuringly at his friend, he knew she had found the last six months really difficult.

After the list of the deceased she went on to thank the emergency services and this is where Nikki, Harry, Leo and the security guards got their mention. Harry was dreading the thought of being pulled up on stage but fortunately she just pointed towards their table and they were given a polite round of applause.

10:30 noted Harry, surely the worst was over now. There was dancing to come, he hoped he wouldn't have to dance, but he'd still be keeping an eye out for her. By then he'd be able to slink back into the shadows at the side of the hall.

'Hmm, bad choice of words' he thought.


	9. Chapter 9

There were more speakers to come, Harry discovered much to his horror. The only plus side being that the longer the speeches rambled on the less time the band would have and the sooner he'd be able to escape, it was nearly 11.

He was surprised to see the student with the enormous earlobe piercings and something akin to a sabre tooth tiger teeth sticking out the back of his ears up on stage. He was listed in the summary as Sebastian Smythe. 'I bet his Dad is regretting all the money spent on his school fee's' thought Harry.

Sebastian didn't mince his words though, and to his credit he was a good speaker but Harry tuned out as soon as he went off on some diatribe against the authorities and the mismanagement of university money.

'It really is stiflingly hot in here now' thought Harry and looked round to see that the doors at the back of the hall had been closed and some of the waiters stood next to them. The doors at the front were the same. Harry had been uneasy all evening but now he was sure there was something wrong. He tried to attract Leo's attention but he was engrossed in a conversation with Janet.

He tuned back into the speech, it had moved on to the proposed building expansion plans and in particular the rebuilding of the animal house. Things suddenly started to slot into place. The scruffy students, weren't students at all, or not all of them anyway. They were radical animal rights activists. He'd read about their campaigns in both Oxford and Cambridge, Oxford had managed finally to rebuild their animal house, but the costs had become overwhelming in Cambridge due to all the disruption and the project had been canned.

Even allowing for the amount of alcohol consumed that evening, Harry could see that no one in the room was laughing now. Sebastian had announced that because there were heads of all the faculty departments present, a new proposal banning the development of the 'Animal Welfare Centre' as it was named, could be put forward and voted on. The appropriate quorum numbers had been met and it would just take the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and eight of the senior management team to sign the agreement.

"You can't get people to agree just like that to please you." someone shouted from near the back.

"Yes, I'm aware of that" Sebastian stated quietly "and so we have brought along some things to help eight of you to step forward and sign this document."

"We may well be here this evening to remember our innocent class mates that died earlier this year, but how many innocent animals are still slaughtered in this institution every day? Where are their memorial services? There are eight tables at the front, seating many of the people we need to see up here on the podium, we intend to conduct our own small experimentation on some of you at those tables and see how you like being the victims for once."

"This is lunacy," shouted another voice. "It's not like we're making puppies chain smoke here, we're not one of the big pharmaceutical companies, they are for the students, the animals are treated humanely and only used when absolutely neces.." He never finished his sentence but someone else at the table screamed.

"What did you do?" a woman's voice cried out.

"Anyone coming up to sign, or do we need some more experimental subjects?" Sebastian sneered.

Harry was up on his feet and looking towards the table where the scream had come from. Nikki grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back down to his seat.

"Harry, what are you doing? These guys are obviously maniacs, it can't possibly go on for long, someone will have phoned the police, sit down please." she begged.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Harry whispered. "They've blocked the exits and they've obviously managed to recruit waiting staff sympathetic to the cause. Look!"

Instead of collecting plates the waiters were now circling the front tables, as the one nearest them turned to face them he raised the syringe he was holding and pointed it directly at Harry. There was also one of the 'students' stood behind the Chancellor, and he too had a syringe.

"So, no one coming up to sign then" Sebastian taunted, "I guess our experiment can continue, shall we have our test subjects up near the front so we can all record the results and draw our own conclusions."

A couple of 'waiters' grabbed a man near them and hauled him up on stage, the man made a good attempt to punch one of the waiters, but that only led two more of the 'waiters' to pull his wife up out of her seat and at that he climbed meekly onto the stage.

"Harry" murmured Nikki, fear pricking her eyes.

"I know," he whispered back and squeezed her hand.

He was only distracted for an instant but it was long enough, he felt a sharp pain in his left arm and then an arm round his neck hauling him out of his seat and onto the stage.

"Ah, one of our gallant hero's" said Sebastian. Anyone else prepared to stand up and help the helpless?"

"Harry!" called Nikki again but even now she could see his eyes glazing and struggling to focus.

"What have you given them?" she screamed,

"What have you done?"


	10. Chapter 10

"They'll be fine in a while." Sebastian laughed "Just a chance to treat them like animals, see how they like it for once." He seemed to find this funny.

Nikki had tried to follow Harry as he'd been taken forward but Leo held tight to her and pulled her back into her seat.

"Calm down Nikki," he said, but she could hear the anxiety in his voice.

"If we are going to help Harry, we have to be smart, clever, jumping up on stage is not going to get us anywhere" he whispered.

"What do you think they've given them?" Nikki asked.

"Well they may be prepared to break a number of laws, false imprisonment etc. but I don't think they're crazy enough to commit murder. You heard him, he said they'd be o.k. in a while. Maybe it's just a muscle relaxant or some kind of anaesthetic."

Harry was sitting up but not moving, the other's were in a similar state, except one poor lady at the back who was vomiting profusely.

"Do you reckon, you can distract them for a bit?" asked George quietly.

"What have you got in mind?"asked Leo.

"Now, this proposal, even if it's signed now, it won't be taken to be legally binding, as it has been acquired under duress, don't you think?" George asked.

"You could go up there and get the ball rolling, it'll at least distract enough of these animals to give us a head start. If we can get Sebastian out of it somehow I'm sure the others would lose their enthusiasm, it'll give the police an opportunity to get in." he continued.

"How do you know the police are here?" Nikki asked incredulously.

"Don't you worry about that, we learned a lot from our last hostage situation didn't we lads." George smiled.

"Shh," Janet said, who had been keeping watch over the circling waiters.

"So what kind of distraction are you wanting?" Nikki asked

"I'm sure you'll be able to think of something." asserted George.

Suddenly there was a cry from the stage. The voice sounded so disconnected Nikki didn't realise at first that it was Harry. It was hard to make out at first but the same words were repeated again and again.

"Nikki, Where are you? I can't find you Nikki, I can't find you!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Forgot to say, just to keep things a bit light hearted, we can play the who are the angels and who are the demons game. Let me know what and who you think is who. :)**

In his mind Harry was surrounded by suffocating blackness, at first when he was just outraged, it seemed as if he were drifting in water, his head high enough to be able to take in air, but the angrier he felt himself become the redder the water appeared until he could believe he was cast adrift in a bloody chest cavity of one of his poor autopsy victims. Despite his best efforts to move or escape his limbs felt like lead and he wondered how long he would be able to keep his head out of the putrid redness.

As his anger gave way to fear, the redness of the water deepened to a thick black, this time it seemed as if it would crush him, and although he could feel things moving around him it was impossible to make out what they were. He realised the worse his fear got the darker everything around him seemed, so he willed himself to concentrate on his breathing and find any point of light to focus on. There had to be some light somewhere he thought.

"Nikki, I can't find you, Nikki!" he called out again.

Finally he spotted a bright white light coming closer and closer to him. The light hurt his eyes but again he willed himself to look towards it.

There was no keeping Nikki in her seat now. Before Leo had had a chance to grab her she had run to the stage.

"Harry!" she shouted and she was immediately grabbed by two of the bigger 'waiters' on the stage.

Harry looked up and struggled to find his voice. The light was still hurting his eyes, making it difficult to focus.

"You...you look like...a... an angel, have you seen my Nikki? Must keep... eye on her. Watch her back"

With that he started to laugh. "Watch her back!" but it was not a pleasant chuckle but an ugly hysterical laugh.

Nikki was horrified.

"What have you done to them?" she asked again, shaking her arms to try and free herself from her captors. They were both built like rugby players and the black suits made them seem huge.

"Why have... you got black wings?" continued Harry.

"Let go of me!" Nikki shouted again. "What are you really going to achieve by all this, even if they all sign your stupid agreement it won't hold up, it's all pointless." She directed her venom towards Sebastian. But managed to give the tallest of her sidekicks, the blonde one a hearty kick in the shin.

"Oh pointless is it? Then how come our actions managed to stop the building of new facilities in Cambridge." Sebastian walked towards Nikki, "You could join your friend you know," he gestured to Harry. "You never know, you might like it, I guess it's you he's looking for," he laughed.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, I'm not frightened of you." she spat out and finally managed to shake off her two henchmen.

However it was only because the darker haired one of them was collecting one of the few remaining syringes.

"Oh no you don't." shouted Nikki, and charged towards the two of them head down. However as blonde sidestepped, she was grabbed by the wrist by the other man, swung round lost her footing and crashed to the floor.

"Oh leave her," called Sebastian.

"Nikki!" called Leo.

"That girls done good, I only needed a bit of a distraction." said George. "She could be an actress!"

But Nikki still hadn't moved.

"I don't think she's acting." Janet said.

"Nikki?" called Leo again.

When there was still no response, he made his way up to the stage. Bending over her he realised she was unconscious. He carefully rolled her into the recovery position and as he turned her over he revealed a small trickle of blood staining her hairline above her ear.

**Please note I do not wish to promote drug use/abuse in any form, it is just used as a plot device. Apologies too, if I'm way off base with the descriptions the information is from FRANK, Wikipedia and watching 'In the Night Garden'* when sleep deprived, and a some heavy duty pain relief when I had my children. *Very odd pre school childrens' TV show.**


	12. Chapter 12

"That, that that wasn't our fault." stammered Nikki's blonde henchman. He looked towards Sebastian, across to Leo and back to Sebastian again.

"You said, this was all going to be harmless! That woman over there has hardly stopped vomiting for 20 minutes, that guy over there is hyperventilating and he." He pointed towards Harry but was at a loss for words to describe exactly what Harry seemed to be experiencing.

"Calm down will you," said Sebastian.

"They're all just tripping they'll be fine in an hour."

"And her?"

"She fell and hit her head, probably had too much to drink the silly cow, it was an accident. No one can blame us for that."

Leo barely stifled a guffaw. "You have a room full of witnesses who saw your men, restrain her, threaten her and throw her on the ground. It's not looking good from where I'm standing."

"Oh, shut up old man, there are always casualties in war," Sebastian continued.

Leo was about to reply when he noticed Nikki's eyelids flicker and open.

"Nikki? Nikki? Can you hear me? You've hurt your head, try and lay still and tell me what you remember?"

Nikki screwed up her eyes in an effort to help her remember, and then the colour that had slightly returned to her cheeks suddenly drained away again.

"Harry!" she said.

"Where is he Leo? what's happened to him? I need to see him." She struggled to a sitting position and found herself looking straight towards Harry."

"On her...f...!" screeched Harry.

"Get it off her...do it NOW!" he bellowed.

"It's going to bite her. The snake. Help her. Someone help her." Harry was sobbing now, he was desperately trying to move but try as he might his body was not cooperating.

"Easy Harry, it's ok, Shh now, there's nothing there." Leo tried to comfort him but carefully placed himself in Harry's line of sight so he couldn't see Nikki anymore.

"Who's Harry?" asked Harry.

Meanwhile with all the attention being focused on the commotion on the stage, George, Tyrell and Steve had gone into action. Steve as it turned out was on good terms with the guys on the computer table at the back and had texted them a plan. It was 13 against all the rest but George figured as soon as Sebastian was taken out of power the other activists would roll over pretty quickly and he was fairly certain there were other non activists in the room who would be only too happy to assist and disarm the rest of them. Then of course he knew the police were standing by outside ready to enter at his signal.

Nikki's henchman were evidently relieved that she had at least regained consciousness and in the split second that Sebastian looked across to them, George and the others grabbed the three of them and knocked them to the floor. Janet and Sarah were ready as soon as Sebastian had been knocked down to pull the Chancellor out of harms way, and the computer guys went for the rest. There was an almighty crash as the back and front doors of the hall opened simultaneously and the police poured in.

It was all over in seconds. So quickly in fact it was almost hard to believe that it had really happened and wasn't just some weird dream. One quick look at the stage and the remaining drugged guests brought the reality crashing back.

"Leo why are you sitting there like that? And what's that terrible noise?" asked Nikki.

"It's alright Nikki, don't you worry about what's happening, how are you? You had us worried there for a moment."

"I'm good, I think." she said uncertainly. Certainly glad this lot are being cleared out.

"Why won't you let me see Harry?"


	13. Chapter 13

By waiting until George and the team had apprehended the rogue students the police were able to quickly round them up and not have to spend hours interviewing everyone present. It would have been so easy for the activists to slip back into the role of innocent party guest or service staff. So the hall began to empty pretty quickly.

The paramedics began to remove the victims to waiting ambulances. George had pointed out that Nikki's blonde attacker seemed to have more of a conscience than most. It didn't take the police long to strike a deal with him that enabled them to know the name and the source of the drugs they had given out.

Sebastian had said he wanted them treated like animals and so had procured ketamine, a vets anaesthetic of choice to stage his little power play. As an anaesthetic, it was useful for animals but it's hallucinogenic effect meant it was rarely used in humans. It's effects included muscle paralysis, a disconnected state of being and hallucinations and could last up to an hour and serious complications weren't likely unless there were other underlying factors.

Leo had been listening in to the questioning.

"This is not a drug that mixes well with alcohol, what were you thinking? You seem too bright to be mixed up with this lot."

"What because I'm bright, I don't care about the welfare of animals?" he asked.

"That's not what I mean." said Leo. "This whole plot, whatever you want to call it." Leo gestured across the emptying ballroom.

"That's why we went in as waiting staff," the blonde henchman continued. "The victims weren't really picked at random. We had been watching them from the start. We only picked the people drinking the mineral water..it wasn't meant to be like this."

"Harry was drinking mineral water?" Leo asked incredulously.

"He must have been or we'd never have picked him," blonde henchman replied.


	14. Chapter 14

Outside the various victims were being treated in the ambulances or sent off to hospital. The lady who had been vomiting had already been wired up to a drip and sent off to the closest one. Now the paramedics knew what the drug was it was easier for them to treat the victims.

Janet was with Nikki, she hadn't ever realised what a bad patient could be like until entering the ambulance with Nikki.

"I don't want to go to hospital on New Year's Eve." Nikki demanded.

"You must be able to superglue this cut, it's not deep, I'll suture it myself if you're going to be really fussy." She told Kev the ambulance guy and even he'd backed down and glued the cut and applied some steri strips.

"Now tell me how you got the cut." Kev asked politely.

"Haven't I told you already? I was been pulled about by two rugby playing terrorists, I tried to run into them and I failed, I fell and hit my head on the floor. Why do I keep having to go through all this?"

"Because there seem to be some inconsistencies, in your behaviour and I want to make entirely sure you have not got a serious concussion before I let you out of this ambulance."

"You were unconscious for a bit Nikki, it would be wise to listen to him." Janet suggested gingerly.

"I hit my head, no one's denying that, but look, do I have strangely dilated pupils, can I carry on a coherent conversation, I'm fine, now can you please, release me, or discharge me or whatever you do, I would very much like to go home and get some rest."

"Are you particularly tired?" probed Kev.

"It's nearly midnight, I've had a near miss in a taxi, been held hostage, and had a bump on the head, I'm just ordinarily tired and would really like to go home." Nikki reeled off and stared out of the door.

"A near miss in a taxi?" questioned Kev.

"Were you in a road traffic accident earlier?" he asked Janet.

"We skidded and bumped another taxi." Janet informed Kev.

"It was nothing really."

"Could she have hit her head then?" he asked.

"I don't think so, it wasn't a big bump." Janet confirmed.

"I am still here you know." Nikki said petulantly.

"Well I'm not happy..." Kev began, but then heard a fellow paramedic shouting his name.

"Hey, Kev, Mike give us a hand mate, I think this one's going into cardiac arrest."

"You'd better be here when I get back." Kev shouted and ran towards the other ambulance.

"Go find out who it is please," Nikki begged Janet.

"I'll stay here, I promise." said Nikki.

Janet was relieved to escape, if only for a brief while. She made a mental note, never to get into Nikki's bad books.


	15. Chapter 15

Nikki rested her eyes for a moment and was startled by a knock on the door of the ambulance.

"Janet is that you?" she asked.

But it was Harry's head that peaked through the door and hauled himself into the ambulance.

"Harry!" Nikki cried delightedly

"How are you, how did you get here?"

"I got abandoned and so I have been climbing into ambulances until I found you." he said proudly.

Nikki was sat on the gurney and Harry was still crouching in the doorway to the ambulance.

"What a night Harry, are you sure you're ok?" Nikki asked.

"No, not really." he said honestly

"How are you?" he asked in return.

"'bout the same, my man here wants to send me to hospital for observation but I can't go Harry, I can't, I hate hospitals, it's New Year's Eve, I'm supposed to be out having fun."

"Ah yes, fun." he said sadly. "I know Nik's. Sorry it wasn't the evening you wanted." Harry shuffled in further and rested on the opposite gurney.

"it's not exactly your fault, you know." she said.

He studied her face. She did look tired. He reached over and took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb soothingly over her knuckles.

"You did look beautiful tonight." Harry confessed.

"Ketamine not entirely worn off then." Nikki said with a wry smile. "Or do head wounds do it for you?"

"Don't think so." he said awkwardly.

"It's just .." Harry stopped and checked his watch.

"Well, it's just, well it is I mean it was midnight a few minutes ago when I started knocking on the doors of all the ambulances. And I know you weren't keen on the idea, but I didn't want the evening to be a complete washout. Well, you know." his speech wasn't going well so just shortened anything he had thought about to:

"Happy New Year Nikki." and pressed his lips to hers.


	16. Chapter 16

**I know I know, everyone loves cheesy fluff but I'm not quite through torturing our beloved heroes yet... Thanks to all you star reviewers, and those tagging favourite author. I am honoured. **

As soon as their lips touched, Harry had a flashback of the snake he'd seen earlier crawling across her face and pulled away quickly. Shit, that wasn't the way he imagined this going. He scrutinized her face. He wasn't good at reading emotions at the best of times, and this was not the best of times. She was smiling, but was it a happy smile or sad smile? He couldn't tell. He would have to say something but part of him still wanted to check that the snake wasn't caught hiding in her hair.

"Well, you know we've been held hostage twice in one year, statistically the chance of ever being held hostage again is nearly zero." he said brightly. Hoping that resorting to humour would at least confirm whether or not the smile was sad or happy.

"Thanks Harry," said Nikki. The corners of her lips turned up slightly but then they were both startled by shouts from outside.

"I think someone may have noticed you've gone missing." Nikki said sadly as she heard Harry's name being yelled.

"I wasn't told to stay where I was," he replied.

"I was just told not to do anything stupid." he said pedantically.

"And did you?" she asked quietly.

"I don't think so." Harry paused. "Isn't kissing your co-worker compulsory at these sort of events?"

"What, parties where the guest's get carted off in ambulances mid way through?" Nikki giggled.

"Well, the other sort are really a bit bland don't you think." they both laughed and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Peace was restored again.

There was a loud creak as the back door of the ambulance was opened and Leo's head peered in.

"Don't worry Mike, I've found him," called Leo.

"How did you know where to look?" Mike's voice called from across the car park.

"There was no where else he would be." Leo admitted.

"I thought I told you not to do anything stupid!" Mike yelled at Harry.

"We've been really worried, do you have any idea how busy we are on New Year's Eve? Too busy to be chasing someone who should know better around the car park!"

"You didn't have to chase me, I haven't moved far and I haven't done anything stupid, I just moved from one ambulance to another." Harry said.

Leo coughed loudly and unsubtly from outside the ambulance, causing Mike to look back at him.

"Oh, you had to check on your date, huh, fair enough mate." Mike sounded placated.

"She's not my..." Harry started.

Mike looked at Nikki, and the way she was looking at Harry and decided he would probably choose to disagree.

Kev had appeared by that point and he and Mike chatted together for a while.

"You probably could go home" they stated carefully. "However our advice to you would be to come with us to the hospital and get checked out now. You can't be too careful with bumps on the head you know. And you Harry," Mike prodded him in the chest, "providing you steer clear of anything dangerous, or stressful anything that's going to elevate your blood pressure you should be fine. The effects really should be minimal by now, but that alcohol you had earlier caused a more intense reaction and you might find that your dreams are really vivid for a while."

"Great, can someone call me a taxi home then?"asked Nikki.

"Is there anyone at home that can keep an eye on you? Maybe your date?" questioned Kev.

"You just can't stop can you, no there's not!"

"Well then I'm definitely not discharging you." Kev stated, looking from Nikki to Harry and back again.

Before the shouting got louder, Leo leaned back into the ambulance.

"Thank you Kev, for your diligent work this evening, I agree Nikki should probably go to the hospital tonight but unless you handcuff her to the gurney I'm not sure you're going to manage it. Perhaps you could discharge both of them into my care. I'll make sure they get home and are not on their own. Is it a deal?"

Kev did not even try to disguise the look of relief on his face,

"Dr. Dalton, I think that's a very good suggestion, everyone happy?"

There were murmurs of assent all round.

"Right, they're all yours Dr. Dalton, any odd behaviour, headaches, loss of consciousness you'll make sure she gets to the hospital."

"I will." said Leo solemnly.


	17. Chapter 17

Waiting for a taxi at 1am on New Years Day was a long process.

Despite being glad to be rid of them, the paperwork Kev and Mike had to go through before they were allowed to leave seemed endless. Then they had to go back inside and collect all their belongings. It all seemed endless. And now they were stood out on the kerb waiting for a taxi that had been promised to arrive half hour ago.

Nikki had pulled her coat so far around her she had almost disappeared. None of them were really in the mood to chat, so they just stood in the cold waiting, the frosty silence wrapping around them making them feel colder than ever.

When the taxi finally arrived both Leo and Nikki were relieved to see that it was neither of the drivers that had been involved in the crash earlier.

Leo gave the cabbie Nikki's address and they all climbed into the back.

"Must have been a good party!" said the cabbie enthusiastically.

"Eventful." admitted Leo.

"It's not often I get a beautiful woman in my cab taking two men home with her" he continued and muttered something under his breath that sounded to Harry very much like 'lucky sods.'

"I'm not staying." said Leo.

"What!" Harry and Nikki chorused.

"I said, I'm not staying." Leo repeated but loudly enough for the cabbie to hear.

"You're not!" Harry and Nikki asked simultaneously and sounding so disappointed, the taxi driver lost concentration and took the corner rather more sharply than he intended causing everyone to lean into Harry and squash him against the window.

"I'm not sure this is an evening to turn down, if I were you mate," the cabbie added unhelpfully.

"Do you mind?" Leo asked the cabbie pointedly and then turned back to his colleagues.

"You're both fine." Leo said. "I told Janet I wouldn't be long, and she went home hours ago. I don't want her to be worried. Go and have a cup of tea, watch some dreadful telly and call me first thing in the morning. You'll be fine."

Nikki was still staring at Leo open mouthed.

"Look, I told the paramedics, you wouldn't be on your own. You're not on your own, you're together. I haven't told any lies, so don't look at me like that.

"Nikki, you just need to take it easy and watch out for headaches, or bright lights bothering you, you know the symptoms of concussion, and Harry just needs to let all this pass through his system. You're not still seeing things are you?" Leo asked.

"What like, snakes, spiders and tentacled aliens that suck your brains out as you watch television?" Harry paused, he'd check the telly carefully before he turned it on.

"Nah, they stopped hours ago," he lied.


	18. Chapter 18

Leo made the taxi drop Harry and Nikki at her flat. He waited in the cab until they had gone up the steps to the door, but made no attempt to go inside with them. He had a feeling that if he stepped inside, neither of them would let him leave. It was odd for them, they were usually so comfortable together, maybe they were just worried and exhausted.

Inside the flat, Nikki was searching through her cupboards.

"It's here somewhere, I'm sure," she said reaching right to the back.

"Aha, hot chocolate," she announced. "I won it, in last year's Secret Santa!"

"It's a year old!" Harry cried.

"It's dehydrated sugar and cocoa powder, what can go off?"

"You've got a point," Harry agreed.

"I can't remember the last time I had a hot chocolate, are you ok? You seem a bit quiet?"

"Me?" Nikki asked with enforced brightness. "Just a bit tired, it is late you know."

Harry went into the lounge, turning on all the lights, and checking behind the TV before switching it on.

"Bright enough for you?" asked Nikki as she brought in the mugs. She put them on the coffee table and turned off half of the lights.

They sat on the sofa and drank their hot chocolate in silence, there was something wrong Harry could feel it, but he couldn't put his finger on what it could be.

"Do you mind if I go and have a wash, I still feel a bit creeped out." Harry admitted.

He couldn't face using Nikki's shower, so instead took off his shirt and splashed water over himself and imagined washing away all the sights he'd seen earlier, he knew this was probably psychobollocks but it made him feel better.

He spied a packet of biscuits in the kitchen and took those with him back to the living room. Nikki was still awake, watching a dodgy action film.

"Biscuit?" he asked, standing over her.

"Nikki, are you crying?"

"No," she sniffed.

"It's the film." she replied.

Harry looked at the telly, it looked like Die Hard or something like it to him.

"Liar," he replied.

"Does your head hurt? Is there anything wrong? Should I call Leo?"

"No, Harry, it's nothing." she said sadly.

"Doesn't sound like nothing." said Harry and sat down on the sofa beside her.

"Do you need me to tell you what's going on?" he asked cocking his head towards the T.V.

"No," she said, giving him a playful punch in the stomach.

She stared at the telly for a bit, Harry was hoping she was gearing up to say something, because he wasn't sure even where to start.

"It's just" she began but trailed off.

"It's just, I thought there would be something,"

Harry could not disguise his look of confusion. On the telly Bruce Willis was beating some baddie to a pulp and it wasn't making it any easier to concentrate.

"It's nothing you've done, don't worry." she said.

Harry tried hard not to look too relieved, he figured that, that last statement was as untrue as the earlier one about her crying.

Sometimes, I think there might be something, something more, something bigger and important, something special," Nikki continued.

"But tonight, there was nothing,"

"Is this about what happened at dinner, when you were attacked?" Harry asked.

"Why would this incident make you question your faith when you've been through so much else and those have never shaken your convictions?"

"No, not **that** something more, Harry. **Us** something more." she said sadly and defeatedly.

"Ah." said Harry glumly.

"I think we should probably just have gone out, the first time we met and got it all over with, but now you're my friend and it's all gone wrong."

"I'm thinking... this is because I kissed you." said Harry, finally pinpointing the turning point of the evening.

"I wasn't good enough for you, was I?" he added.

"Oh Harry, it's just. Well I've had more passionate kisses from Leo."

"Thanks, you really know how to make a guy special you know."

"I think we've probably left it too late. We've become so used to each other we don't notice the gender thing. Hey, you could be my best big brother."

"I don't want to be your brother Nikki." Harry said sulkily, taking his eyes from Bruce who was now dangling precariously off a building and looking deep into her eyes.

"Then why didn't I feel anything when you kissed me? There was no passion, it's all gone." she said returning his gaze.

"I'm really tired Harry, I think I'll go to bed. Will you be alright here on the couch? You know where the blanket is." she said quietly.

Bruce was just managing to claw his way back up to safety, when someone started to shoot at him.

Nikki made for the door.

"You can go on thinking that that kiss was passionless if you want, but don't go telling yourself that it's because I have no feelings for you," Harry said, in a determined voice.

"You want to know why it was so bad?" he continued. "Then I hope you're ready for the truth. I was terrified."


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry this one's a bit long... hope you enjoy it though... Just to be clear the Bruce Willis movie is entirely fictional. I'm sure all the events could have happened in one of the films, but don't bother trying to figure out which one it is, as I just made the bits up to fit with what I was doing.**

Nikki stopped in her tracks, her back still to Harry.

Bruce was now running down some stairs in a dingy stairwell in a bid to escape, hardly audible above the clang of his gun against the metal railings, and the sound of his feet as he jumped floors at a time, came a quiet voice,

"I'm listening," Nikki said. But she didn't turn round.

"You and me Nikki, we're the same you see."

'Well we've got the same demons' he thought. Harry pulled his hands through his hair, he knew this was probably his one chance at explaining himself, he could feel their friendship slipping through his fingers as quickly as Bruce was making it down the stairs. He had to get this right.

'Shit!' why was this so difficult.

He stood and walked up behind her. She was still wearing that dress, although it was unlikely she'd be able to wear it again, as there was definitely blood stains down part of it. 'Focus Harry' he commanded himself, but the sight of her bare back was intoxicating to him.

He decided to go back to the start, thinking that if he had a metaphorical run up, the second part of this speech would just flow on.

"Earlier, in the ambulance, I was still pretty high (or low or whatever) you see. I didn't trust myself Nikki."

"You said you were terrified, that wouldn't be enough to make you terrified, or am I so hideous that snogging me even under the influence is that abhorrent to you," she asked snippily.

"No, Nikki, please it's not that, you mustn't think that." He took a step closer and placed his hands on her upper arms and rested his forehead against the back of her head.

"Part of it was that I was still imagining things. I saw..., never mind it doesn't matter but it didn't help. With you everything is different." he paused and then,

"You are the one woman in the world, I can't lie to." he breathed out.

"You see through me, you know me, you know what I'm hiding from and you know what I fear. It feels like the more I know you the more exposed I become and I am terrified that you won't like what you find."

"And you are so beautiful," he murmured. His face inches from her neck.

"You are clever and smart and so damn sexy, you drive me wild," he gently nuzzled her shoulder with his cheek.

"It is so hard, spending every day with you , sharing so much time with you, wanting so much to be with you and knowing that with every step I take closer to you, I am growing closer and closer to a maelstrom that will suck me in and then I will end up destroying you.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing, filling his being with her perfume.

"You can't see the two of us working out?" Nikki asked sadly, all the time leaning in to his embrace.

The credits were rolling for Bruce now, his mission for the evening was over.

He shook his head against the back of her neck dejectedly.

"I know Nikki, that after my father died, I was so hurt and angry. I have never really been able to trust anyone again. All my relationships have failed and then I met you and suddenly before I even realised what had happened you were such an important part of my life. I can't imagine losing you. It terrifies me Nikki that if we take this any further I'll mess up and if I mess up..I..." Harry finally ran out of words as the thought of losing her suddenly placed him back in the suffocating blackness of earlier and he gasped for air.

"and if you mess up," Nikki continued for him. "I will forgive you, and when I mess up you will have to forgive me. We aren't totally the same, Yes we've both lost parents, we're both distrustful of others, and we both blame ourselves for our parents deaths but it was not our fault, we were both children and that's what children do, they assume the guilt. But just because we had a sad childhood it doesn't mean that we have to deny ourselves any chance of happiness now!"

Nikki had spun round in his arms and was now eye to eye with him.

"You can see the two of us working out?" Harry asked carefully returning her gaze.

"As long as the kissing improves," Nikki replied flippantly.

"You're sure?" he questioned again.

"Harry!" she sighed.

"It's just that, this feels like Pandora's box, once the lid is opened, it's never going to shut again, I won't be able to... I can't go back to how it was before.." Harry shut his eyes again, he wanted to be certain that when he looked at her, he was making the right decision. He knew she was still playing the humour card to mask her true feelings. She might be the only woman in the world who could see through his lies, but it worked both ways and he could read her lies just as easily as she could read his.

A news bulletin had followed the ad's after the film and was reshowing the countdown to midnight.

"Come on Harry, it's midnight, I thought you said snogging you're co-worker was compulsory!" said Nikki, gesturing towards the TV.

"It's not midnight, Nikki," he said stalling for time, desperately trying to read her face. She had to understand he didn't want some quick fling.

"It's midnight somewhere, maybe in Rio de Janeiro or the Bahamas, you can take me there on holiday next year." she laughed tipping her head back and fixing him with a challenging stare.

But then her smiling face became more serious.

"You can't compare kissing me to Pandora unleashing all evil on the world," she said.

"I know Nikki, that's not how I meant it, I just meant that this isn't a reversible decision. Not to me anyway." Why was this so painful, he wondered if it was because she didn't seem to be taking things as seriously as he was?

"If you're looking for someone to save you, to charge in and take away every bad thing that has ever happened, you're right, this won't work, it's not me. I can't save you Harry. I can't take away the pain of all those betrayals. I can't take away you're anger, or your fear" Nikki turned away from him again, sure that despite all Harry had said, he had lost his nerve, she obviously wasn't good enough for him to take a risk.

"But I can love you, if you'll let me," she said to the wall.

Nikki could hear the sound of Harry's ragged breathing close behind her. She waited, hardly daring to breathe herself and then after what seemed an age she felt Harry's hands reach back to her arms and his face bury itself into the crook of her neck. She felt the wetness of his tears on her skin and then the warm touch of his lips on her neck.

The decision made, Harry was in no hurry to turn her around but took time to explore with his hands and mouth the skin of her back and neck that had so bewitched him that evening. Even though he still just held her upper arms, he could sense the change in her breathing and the way she pushed her body back into his.

'Special magic,' he smiled to himself.

"Must kiss you." groaned Nikki, turning herself round in his arms.

She had never seen anyone look at her with such obvious passion such as was shining from Harry's face and hugely dilated eyes. She felt her own stomach lurch and not just with the adrenaline from the kissing but from the rawness of the emotion Harry showed. He had really meant what he said about not being able to lie to her, she was overwhelmed.

"Nikki." murmured Harry, it was a statement and a question and a decision.

"Yes," she replied in answer to every question he could possibly be asking. And before a moment more was wasted she fused her lips to his.

Harry circled his arms around her pulling her whole body towards him and began to live out every kissing fantasy he'd ever had in the previous six years. (Well he started, the ones with them both in the cutting room would have to wait.) She was far better than his dream Nikki. His fears were falling away just as the creatures he had 'seen' earlier evaporated, and just when he thought the last one was gone he heard a tiny voice.

"Harry stop."

"Don't think I can," he mumbled into her collar bone.

"No really... Harry …..sto..."

He stumbled suddenly as the full weight of her dropped into his arms, her head lolled back and her eyes stared glassily forward.

"Nikki!" he screamed carefully lowering her to the floor and checking for a pulse.

"Nikki!"

_

* * *

_

Pandora's Box

_In ancient Greece there were two brothers named Epimetheus and Prometheus. They upset the gods and annoyed the most powerful of all Gods, Zeus, in particular. As a trap Zeus created Pandora, a beautiful woman and sent her as a gift to Epimetheus. He fell in love and Zeus presented Pandora with a box for a wedding gift, only she was never allowed to open it. Finally, Pandora could stand it no longer. When she knew Epimetheus was out of sight, she crept up to the box, took the huge key off the high shelf, fitted it carefully into the lock and turned it. But, at the last moment, she felt a pang of guilt, imagined how angry her husband would be and quickly locked the box again without opening the lid and put the key back where she had found it. Three more times she did this until, at last, she knew she had to look inside or she would go completely mad!_

_She took the key, slid it into the lock and turned it. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and slowly lifted the lid of the box. She opened her eyes and looked into the box, expecting to see fine silks, gowns or gold bracelets and necklaces or even piles of gold coins._

_But there was no gleam of gold or treasure. There were no shining bracelets and not one beautiful dress! The look of excitement on her face quickly turned to one of disappointment and then horror. For Zeus had packed the box full of all the terrible evils he could think of. Out of the box poured disease and poverty. Out came misery, out came death, out came sadness - all shaped like tiny buzzing moths._

_The creatures stung Pandora over and over again and she slammed the lid shut. Epimetheus ran into the room to see why she was crying in pain. Pandora could still hear a voice calling to her from the box, pleading with her to be let out. Epimetheus agreed that nothing inside the box could be worse than the horrors that had already been released, so they opened the lid once more._

_All that remained in the box was Hope. It fluttered from the box like a beautiful dragonfly, touching the wounds created by the evil creatures, and healing them. Even though Pandora had released pain and suffering upon the world, she had also allowed Hope to follow them. _

_Source: Myths and Legends e2bn: brilliant site_


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry for the long wait everyone...pre-Christmas craziness and illness, Please forgive me... I'll even post lots of chapters. Lots of love to the lovely reviewers too.**

"Nikki, Nikki," he called to no avail.

"Shit! Nikki, wake up, come on please." he begged.

His brain went into panic mode, there was no chance of getting a cab at 4am on New Year's Eve, it had been a real struggle earlier. The ambulances were always busy on a night like this. So he scooped her into his arms, grabbed her car keys and carried her down the stairs to her car. As he buckled her seat belt it crossed his mind that he should really call Leo. But he could call in a couple of hours, when he wasn't in such a hurry, and Nikki would be fine by then. 4am was not the time for making phone calls.

The streets were deserted and it was only after Harry was half way there and stopped at a light, that it occurred to him that he probably shouldn't even be driving. If he got stopped he was bound to test positive for something or other. He concentrated hard on driving sensibly and carefully, but not so sensibly that it was obvious he was trying too hard.

Two red lights further on and he began to wonder how he was going to make it to the hospital, after he got there. It sounded stupid, but if he parked in the car park, how did he get her to the A&E department. Or did he abandon the car outside A&E, and take Nikki inside? He was sure some security guard would accuse him of terrorism and have the car towed, or worse and he'd have to leave Nikki inside on her own?

"Nikki, Nikki, wake up, I need you to wake up for me," he called to no avail. He tried deep breathing as he had done earlier to keep his fear at bay, back when he was able to see fear all around him. It got him the last few streets to the hospital and he opted for the car park approach. The fee's would be astronomical, but probably cheaper than having to buy her a new car after hers was destroyed by the bomb squad and he was held without charge for 28 days.

The car park was deserted, so he chose a space as close to the A&E department as he could, lifted her out of the car and carried her across to it. It was lucky she was so slight. It wasn't until he was in the lobby that he finally spotted a wheelchair. He resisted the urge to run in screaming 'Somebody help me!' it might work on ER but this was England, and it was more likely to put him at the back of the queue. He noticed he was being stared at by the security guard and was very glad he'd gone for the car park option. The staring didn't stop though, so he quickly reached up and squirted hand sanitiser on his hands and asked if he could borrow the wheelchair he had put Nikki into, and that seemed to placate him.

As quickly and safely as he could, he wheeled Nikki up to the admissions desk. Every time he turned a corner, Nikki's head lurched to the side, he left her, hanging out the side of the chair looking crumpled and utterly out of it. Harry had been through A&E enough times to know how to work the system, a suspected head injury should put them fairly near the top of the list, but it was New Year's Eve and there was no harm in making it look good.

"Hi, this is Nikki Alexander, she fell and hit her head earlier this evening and was unconscious for about 5 minutes, she was attended to by paramedics and allowed to go home with supervision. She was also in a minor car accident and the suspicion is she hit her head then too. She was fine until about half an hour ago when she suddenly lost conciousness and I haven't been able to get any response from her since." Harry reeled off. The nurse was writing furiously trying to keep up. Having got her to the hospital and his speech done, Harry actually looked at Nikki. She was whiter than white, her breathing shallow and slow, for the first time since she fell into his arms he began to consider the possibility that this could actually be really serious.

"Take her straight through," the nurse ordered and suddenly he was surrounded by people who were now in charge. They lifted her out of her chair and away from him to a cubicle.

"I have to stay with her!" he called out terrified that he would be left alone in the waiting area.

"Come through, Sir." said a kindly looking nurse. "You can stay with her as long as you want, and as long as you keep out of the way when we need you too."

"Thank you." said Harry and fell into the hard, plastic chair by her bedside.


	21. Chapter 21

**Massive respect for all you brilliant people out there who write this stuff so convincingly. I'm hoping that my complete lack of medical knowledge doesn't show up too much and put you off.**

Harry was not good at waiting. He hated being out of control. He hated seeing Nikki lying in another hospital bed, and he hated having to repeat himself to every health professional that walked into the cubicle. He'd told the story so many times now, he was beginning to wonder himself, why he hadn't made her go to the hospital earlier. Probably because his brain wasn't working properly either. But Leo would have insisted wouldn't he, if he had thought it was necessary? Leo he remembered sadly had had more to drink than anyone else at the table.

They had been moved pretty quickly up from A&E onto the ward, but this had only brought a change in the colour of the hard plastic chair by her bedside, and another set of doctors and nurses to retell the story to.

Why hadn't he noticed the signs? There must have been signs, all the doctors had asked. Probably his brain wasn't working properly then and he never noticed.

'The lights!' he suddenly remembered. She had turned the lights off, why didn't he think of it at the time. Even Leo had reminded them about it. If he had...

He tried not to wander down that avenue of thought. If he had missed so much that seemed so obvious now, he must have still been under the influence. And what did that mean for their BIG conversation later, was he still off his head then? He shuddered, would it even matter? The doctors weren't really telling him anything, but their silence spoke volumes. He wasn't stupid, he knew she should have woken up by now if everything was all right.

'And she'd said stop,' his brain reeled round again. Was that because she was ill, or because she had changed her mind.

His whole body felt numb, he was desperately tired but the minute his body started to relax the reality of Nikki's situation overwhelmed him, turning his stomach and filling him with despair. He had been right, this was just like opening Pandora's box, only this was worse than releasing plague and pestilence on the world. This was unleashing all the nagging childhood fears that he was responsible for his father's death. Now here he was 25 years later and being responsible for putting his best friend in critical condition in the hospital.

'She can't die.' the thought flittered through his consciousness before the could suppress it.

He wouldn't let her.

Leo had made it hadn't he? And he had been in a far worse shape.

'What if I've used up all my lucky chances.' he wondered.

A couple of orderlies came and wheeled her off for an MRI, it was 8am now and Harry figured it was time to make the call to Leo. 'Happy New Year to you too' he thought morosely and made his way through the depressing corridors to the outside where he could use his phone.

It was one of those phone calls he dreaded making. At least he wouldn't have to say much. Thankfully the machine picked up.

"Hi, Leo, it's Harry,

Sorry it's so early.

It's Nikki Leo,

she collapsed,

we're at the hospital,

she's not woken up yet.

I'm..

Leo?

Please!"

'Well that could have gone worse' he thought and snaked his way back through the corridors to her ward.


	22. Chapter 22

As Harry walked back to the space where Nikki's bed had been he had to tell himself over and over that she was still in radiology and that was the only reason for the space.

But as he got closer he saw someone else sitting in the easy chair in her area. He had his eyes closed and a hospital ID. Harry hurried along thinking it was a doctor with some answers finally.

"Hello." Harry called quietly, not wanting to startle the man.

"Hello!" he called a bit louder, when there was no response. At least, he thought to himself it can't be a doctor with bad news, they knew better than to dose off whilst waiting to impart the news to the newly bereaved family. The NHS were overworked but not that badly.

"Hello, can I help you?" asked Harry, touching the man on the shoulder.

"Oh, sorry," spluttered the man. " I must have dozed off, gosh really sorry. I'm Chris." he said sticking out his hand for Harry to shake.

Harry shook the man's hand warily.

"Harry Cunningham, nice to meet you.

"Are you alright? Can I help you?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, I really hope so, that's why I came to see you." Chris said, waking up properly and sitting up.

"You came to see me, but you don't even know who I am?" Harry was beyond confused, he never did well in situations like these and his lack of sleep was not helping.

"Sorry, I'll start at the beginning, I'm Chris, I work as a hospital chaplain." He saw Harry's eye's widen in horror as he imparted this news and spoke quickly.

"Look, just give me a few minutes, please, I'm not here to preach at you, entirely the opposite, I just needed to spend some time with you here, that's all."

"But you don't know me." Harry repeated.

"How can I possibly help you, I've been up all night, my friend is unconscious and showing no signs of waking up, I'm not sure this is a great time for me."

"No, that's exactly it," Chris said.

"I know it sounds selfish but it's my job, it's not always the easiest, and somehow this season seems to bring out the worst in a lot of people. I've had a dreadful week, and I know it sounds insensitive, because your day has obviously been pretty crappy but you're here and your friend is being taken care of."

Harry looked confusedly at Chris. He didn't look like a priest and he wasn't talking like a priest, he wondered if he was seeing things again.

"In the last week," Chris continued, I've seen a little girl with her arms badly burned because she tried to cook the Christmas dinner. She wanted to make the day special for her mum and brothers and as usual her mother was too drunk to do it. I've had the usual variety of domestic violence cases and three attempted suicides after family breakdowns. I'm afraid I had a bit of a rant to one of the nurses and she suggested I come and sit here for a while. Restore my faith in humanity for a bit. She said you'd not left your friends bedside for hours and looked at her with such love you might cheer me up a bit."

Harry was speechless. It was totally outrageous. But there was something about the man that Harry felt sorry for. Maybe it wouldn't do any harm to have a bit of company for a while.

"Tell me about your friend." Chris said. "What happened? Please tell me you didn't hit her..."

"No, I didn't hit her." Harry confirmed for the man, it was another rude question but obviously after the poor guy's experience he needed to hear it.

"We were at a New Year's Eve party, which got hijacked by some animal rights activists. I was drugged and she got pushed over and knocked herself out. The taxi she came to the party in, also had a collision and the suspicion is she hit her head then. The doctors are talking about second impact syndrome, two minor blows to the head causing more damage than one.." Harry trailed off. That dark foreboding feeling steeling through his body again.

"I said, tell me about your friend," repeated Chris

Harry just looked confused.

Second impact syndrome from Wikipedia

Second-impact syndrome, in which the brain swells dangerously after a minor blow, may occur in very rare cases. The condition may develop in people who receive a second blow days or weeks after an initial concussion, before its symptoms have gone away. No one is certain of the cause of this often fatal complication, but it is commonly thought that the swelling occurs because the brain's arterioles lose the ability to regulate their diameter, causing a loss of control over cerebral blood flow.] As the brain swells, intracranial pressure rapidly rises. The brain can herniate, and the brain stem can fail within five minutes.


	23. Chapter 23

"That's what happened, you must be sick to death of telling that story, sorry wrong choice of words," admitted Chris. "Tell me about your friend."

"Erm," started Harry uneasily. "She's my colleague, we're pathologists, we've worked together for about six years."

Chris was staring at Harry, disbelievingly.

"For someone obviously so clever, you're a bit thick." Chris laughed.

"For someone in the church, you're a bit blunt." countered Harry.

"I've been doing this job for a while," Chris explained. "There are only two reasons a man sits by a woman's bedside without moving for hours in this place: one, he's feeling guilty, (and we already established it wasn't you that hit her) and two he's in love. Now, tell me about you're friend."

Harry stared at Chris, not daring to speak, not even to a stranger who most likely he'd never see again. But Chris just waited.

The silence was broken by the orderlies wheeling Nikki's bed back in. There appeared to be no change, and the orderlies said the doctor would be by soon with the results.

Chris looked at Nikki and then back to Harry.

"I'll start then shall I? asked Chris.

"You're friend..."

"Nikki," prompted Harry.

"You're friend, Nikki, is beautiful, lively and vivacious. She makes going to work worthwhile for you, she is special enough that you spend your free time together and yet..." Chris was looking intently at Harry, seeing how close to the mark he was getting.

"And yet, it's taken me this long to tell her how I feel because I'm a coward and an idiot, and now I have, it's all gone wrong. I warned her, I told her moving our relationship on would be like opening Pandora's box, and I was right. I shouldn't have said what I did, I should have just left it alone. Because whatever happens I'll lose my best friend and yes the only woman I've ever truly loved. Is that depressing enough for you?" Harry's little speech had left him breathless.

"So it was last night, that you told Nikki how you felt."

"Yes." confirmed Harry.

"And did she seem pleased?"

Harry nodded. "She collapsed when we started kissing."

"Blimey, it brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, making a girl go weak at the knees." Chris exclaimed.

Ordinarily Harry would have found the remark funny, but he just looked sadly at Nikki.

"And she asked me to stop," Harry admitted sadly.

"Of course she did." Chris said matter of factly.

"She was just about to pass out you ..." Chris didn't seem to be able to think of an appropriate insult.

"I have to say, Harry. You're timings rubbish. You take a year to work up to this?" Chris looked at Harry for confirmation.

"two years?"

Harry pointed upwards

"not six, tell me not six!" Chris begged.

Harry didn't reply.

"O.K. Then, you fancy your colleague for six years, and after all that time when you finally pluck up the courage to tell her, she bangs her head so severely she's unlikely even to remember your name let alone the conversation you've just had. Wow! Harry you poor bastard, that takes some beating."

"Well I'm very glad my tragic life has cheered you up, don't you think it's time you left!" Harry said pointedly but not maliciously. Actually for a priest or chaplain or whatever he was, he wasn't that bad.

Chris stood up and put his hand forward.

Harry shook it warmly.

"You know what though Harry, what was left in Pandora's box?" asked Chris.

"What?" mumbled Harry confused again.

"In the story, Pandora opened her box a second time, do you remember what was left?" Chris asked again.

Harry thought for a moment and then a small smile played at the corner of his mouth.

"Hope?" he asked.

"Hope." Chris confirmed.

"Thanks for letting me stay, Harry, I'll pray for you if you wish." he added as he began to walk away.

"Pray for her, she has faith." Harry said as he spied Leo flying up the ward.

"Who was that?" Leo asked.

"Oh, the hospital chaplain." Harry answered.

"The chaplain?" Leo was astonished.


	24. Chapter 24

Harry repeated his version of the story to Leo and then Janet walked in. She had been finding somewhere to park the car, so he had to start all over again.

"Why didn't you make me take her to the hospital straight way?" Harry asked.

"She seemed fine, Harry. You can't blame yourself for this. I certainly didn't anticipate that anything more would happen. Why didn't you call me earlier?" Leo's thoughts came out in a jumble.

"And how did you get here?" he added as an afterthought.

"I drove her car, I didn't think we'd stand much chance of getting an ambulance or a taxi, so I just took her car keys and drove." Harry confessed.

"Weren't you still a bit under the influence?" asked Janet cautiously.

"Not enough to get caught fortunately." replied Harry running his fingers through his hair. Scarecrow would have been a compliment at this stage.

"Are you sure there's not something that would have caused her to suddenly pass out. Did you two have a fight? Did you upset her?" Leo probed. Leo could feel his temper rising, it wasn't Harry's fault but this was Nikki and he hated seeing her like this. It just wasn't right when Nikki was quiet.

"No, I didn't pick a fight with her Leo..I...we.." Harry was interrupted by the arrival of the doctor.

"Good news, I believe, he said brightly. The MRI showed no signs of any cranial bleeding, the brain tissue all appears normal and I think we can rule out the second impact syndrome. So positive news." the doctor said brightly.

"Then why won't she wake up?" grumbled Harry.

"Harry!" growled Leo, but under his breath.

"There is no good answer, there is no reason on the MRI that shows she couldn't wake up at any time. I'd just like to check though. Before she collapsed had anything happened, maybe something that could have made a sudden change to her blood pressure, anything you can think of or remember," the doctor asked.

"I asked him that too." Leo admitted.

"There must be something." he continued.

"Would it make a difference, if there were?" Harry asked.

"Well yes," the doctor stated. "If she had been suffering from a very minor cerebral bleed, any sudden change of pressure could have caused it to stop and block a part of the brain, or bleed more and cause pressure on another part of the brain. They could all explain the loss of consciousness, and I would be able to treat her symptoms more easily."

"You mean, you'd give her some aspirin." Harry predicted.

"Harry!" Leo growled again.

"Yes, we could give her some aspirin amongst other things and it could be very effective, but I need to know Dr. Cunningham if something happened to cause Nikki's blood pressure to change very suddenly.

Harry paused. "There probably is something." he exhaled the words quietly.

"Yes?" asked the doctor, Leo and Janet.

"We were kissing." Harry continued quietly.

"Harry!" exclaimed Leo for the third time.

"Ah," said the doctor. "Aspirin it is then."

**I always love to know what you think :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Sorry for the delay, two words: winter vomiting...**

It was 7pm and Harry was back by Nikki's bedside, in his gaudy orange plastic chair.

Earlier, after the doctor had left, Leo had given Harry a hard stare but fortunately he had seemed to know better than to ask Harry more questions. Harry couldn't quite make out if the look was 'I told you so, About time to, or you upset her in any way and you answer to me.' But instead Leo just peeled off some £20's and commanded Harry to get Nikki's car out of the car park before the fee's got silly, drive it back to her house and then get a cab to his own house to change. Janet had added that he wasn't allowed back until he'd showered, shaved and eaten something. And so he had done as he was told. Leo had promised to stay until he got back.

The doctors had added some aspirin to the drip Nikki had in her arm. But Harry wasn't holding out much hope.

'Hope' he thought wryly. Maybe he should try Chris's advice and be a bit more positive.

It seemed really quiet now, Leo had left as soon as he got back. The two of them had had an easy friendship before Nikki had arrived at the Lyell Centre. But nowadays they needed Nikki as a mediator. They were used to the dynamic of the three of them, all playing off each other, and with one team member out, it just wasn't right.

"Oh, someone came by and left this for you." Leo had said before he'd left, handing over a small brown bag.

Harry peered inside, there was a bottle of water, can of coke, Mars bar and a sandwich that hadn't been anywhere near the hospital cafe.

"Chris!" said Harry with a smile clutching the bag to his chest.

"Try and get some rest." Leo had said before he left.

'Ha! he was having a laugh.' thought Harry.

He rested his elbows on the bed, and looked at Nikki. It was odd seeing her so still, she was always moving, and her whole face was animated when she spoke. And when she was angry with him... What he wouldn't give now, to hear her 'put down' to one of his brilliant jokes.

"I've always been pretty good in a crisis." he whispered and kissed her hand as he held it in his own.

He rested his head in her hand as he held it to his cheek, but the minute he closed his eyes, he was surrounded by all the voices he'd heard through the day and his own self recriminations, buzzing around in his head.

'why didn't I take her to the hospital earlier'

'did you upset her?'

'Harry, stop!'

'did you hit her?'

'why didn't I see the signs?'

"Oh, Nikki, please wake up." he begged. He stroked her cheek with his finger and brushed the hair from her face.

"You, have to wake up Nikki, you can't leave me, not like this. I need you Nikki...I love you."

He leant over and delicately kissed her forehead before slumping back into his chair.

It felt good having spoken to her. He realised that despite spending the whole day talking about her, he hadn't actually talked to her at all. And even though she couldn't hear him, he had told her he loved her. It was very calming all of a sudden. He had been acting as if she had already gone. Well if he knew anything about Nikki, then he knew she was a fighter. 'Come on' he said as much to himself as to her.

"We can get through this, Niks, I know we can. And if you need any incentive I'll let you use my desk any time you want without complaining or whining, and I'll do your paperwork for a month but you have to wake up. You can do that for me, can't you!"

He continued to hold her hand and started to ramble about what had happened at the party, the terrible jokes Leo had told, and the holiday trick George had done. He didn't mind what he said, he just felt he had to keep talking.

It was late in the night when a nurse came in to check on her.

"You been awake a long time now, my love." said the nurse in a strong West Indian accent.

"She's been asleep a long time too." Harry replied.

The nurse reached out and laid her hand on Nikki's forehead.

"Has she got a fever?" Harry asked concerned.

"Oh no, my lovely I'm just seeing if she's ready to wake up." the nurse continued.

"And is she?" Harry asked.

"Soon, my darling, soon. You should get some rest yourself" she said and gripped Harry tightly on the shoulder as she left.

Harry woke up with a start.

"Nurse!" He called "Nurse!"

"Shh, you'll wake everyone up" said a sour faced nurse.

"Where's the West Indian nurse that was just here?" asked Harry scanning the nurses station.

"There wasn't a nurse just, here, you must have been dreaming, now will you please be quiet. Visiting time ended hours ago, I can't believe anyone let you stay."

Harry retreated to his chair, maybe he had been dreaming, or was it hoping?


	26. Chapter 26

Leo arrived the next morning to find Harry half sitting in the orange chair and half laying on the bed. He was sound asleep. The ward had been awake for hours, clattering and chattering, with phones and alarms and ward rounds, but Harry slept on oblivious.

Nikki on the other hand was awake. She looked dazed and confused, but she was definitely conscious and their was a hint of sparkle in her face. It was obviously uncomfortable for her to move much but he could tell she recognised him instantly.

"Leo," she said warmly.

"Lovely to have you back," Leo replied.

"You had us worried there." he continued.

"Sorry," she said tearfully. She then half waved a finger in the direction of the jumble sale laying across her bed.

"Harry?" she asked.

"Harry," confirmed Leo.

"I don't think he's slept much, since you've been here. I left him to look after you and he's been blaming himself..."

"Typical!" interrupted Nikki.

"How are you?" Leo asked carefully.

"Are you asking me if I know how much money I owe the two of you!" she grinned.

"Pretty much," Leo replied.

"I remember... the party, it was New Years Eve. What day is it today?"

"Jan 2nd." Leo said.

"The 2nd!" Nikki exclaimed. "I remember hitting my head and and you...you rescued me from the ambulance man and and you …...you sent me home with Harry." she seemed very pleased with this speech, but it had obviously tired her out.

"That's enough Nikki, rest a bit. I need to go and tell your doctor you're awake."

"What about him?" she gestured towards Harry again.

"Oh, is he bothering you?" Leo asked

"No," Nikki replied.

"Then leave him alone, he needs his beauty sleep!" Leo laughed.


	27. Chapter 27

When Nikki next opened her eyes, Harry was still fast asleep on the side of her bed and there was another man at the foot of the bed.

"Nikki! You're awake, that's brilliant. Harry is going to be so happy when he wakes up." said the stranger.

"Do I know you?" asked Nikki uncertainly. She was pretty sure she could remember some of the details of the last few days, but the memories were dream like and hazy and hard to distinguish between reality and fevered dream. And now there was someone she had no recollection of even meeting acting like an old friend.

"Sorry, I'm Chris, I'm a friend of Harry's." said Chris.

"Well, we met yesterday, sorry didn't mean to confuse you, what with the bang on the head and all that." he continued.

"Can I start again please?" Chris asked.

"May I sit down?"

"I think so," Nikki said. "Harry likes you?"

"I came to see Harry yesterday, you see, I'm the hospital chaplain." Chris explained.

"You're the what?" Nikki choked.

"Harry asked to see the chaplain, are you sure?"

Nikki's brain was swimming. She did remember this time she did. She knew which way her fridge opened and she knew she was at a party hijacked by animal rights people and she had ended up at her flat with Harry... 'why did Harry come home with me?' she wondered searching through the fog of her memories. But the hospital chaplain, that didn't sound like Harry.

"No, it's ok, you're not confused, I came to see Harry, not Harry asking to see me." Chris didn't feel that his explanations were going to plan.

"But why would you come and see Harry? I'm confused." Nikki rubbed her eyes, her head was beginning to hurt again, where had Leo got to? Had she just dreamed the earlier conversation with Leo. One look at the crumpled heap of Harry on the bed however confirmed that her memory was not deceiving her.

"He was certainly right though." Chris said.

"Who?" asked Nikki

"Harry of course!, he said you were beautiful." Chris smiled.

"Harry, told you I was beautiful?" Nikki asked incredulously.

"Well actually, I think I said you were beautiful, but he didn't disagree." Chris restated.

Nikki opened her mouth wide is shock but no words came out.

"I see he must have found the sandwich I left for him," Chris gestured towards the gently snoring Harry.

"What?" Nikki asked, her brain beginning to pick up speed again.

"Are you telling me, that you gave Harry some kind of sleeping pill yesterday without his knowledge?" Nikki was aghast.

"Oh, don't make it sound like a capital offence, I just crumbled up one of those natural things you can buy over the counter to calm yourself down, it's nothing. You should have seen him Nikki, he was exhausted, he hadn't slept for days and he was in really bad shape, he looked haunted. You would have done the same yourself. I just wanted to help him, he needed to rest but he was too frightened to close his eyes. I knew you would wake up soon and now he will be in a fit state to help you." Chris explained.

"What do you mean, you knew I would wake up? I could get you fired!, How dare you! Now would you please leave, before I change my mind and report you." Nikki commanded.

"It's been a pleasure to have met you Nikki, you are a remarkable woman," Chris said calmly. "I wish you a speedy recovery and every happiness together."

"But we're not together are we?." mumbled Nikki confusedly, but Chris had already gone.

She had to try and remember what happened when she had gone back to her flat after the party with Harry. She could guess what would have happened if she had taken any other man home, but she had bumped her head, and Leo had sent Harry to look after her. So what happened between going home and ending up back in the hospital?


	28. Chapter 28

**On the home straight now, thanks for sticking with this everyone.**

"Harry you're taking up all the space, can you move over a bit."

Harry's only worry was who had the most duvet, and how Nikki always managed to find a reason to claim he was taking up more than his fair share of the bed. He was dreaming of course but he loved these ones, the utter contentment he felt and the prosaic nature of the events. He was just about to roll over and kiss her when he remembered something.

It was as if he were trying to remembering something important, like where he'd left his keys but something wasn't right. His brain tried to work out what was going on. He must be dreaming, but the voice in his head sounded so real. It was her voice. Nikki's. It sounded a bit crosser than his normal dream Nikki, but it was definitely her.

Nikki. His happiness balloon collapsed.

The bed was the dream. She was in the hospital. He was at the hospital. And she wasn't waking up.

"No, really Harry, you're squashing my leg, can you please just shove over a bit!" he heard in her voice again. It really did seem real.

Harry struggled to open his eyes, his back and neck hurt from the uncomfortable position he'd fallen asleep in. He raised himself up from the bed and eased his backside back into the chair, shielding his eyes from the glare of the bright hospital lights.

"Thanks Harry, that's much better." he heard her voice again.

"Nikki?" he asked squinting through the glare.

"Harry?" she asked back playfully.

Suddenly Harry was wide awake and out of his seat and at her side, her hand in his.

"You're awake, oh Nikki, I was so worried." he gabbled, he couldn't stop himself from stroking her hair.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like I've had another bump on the head," she replied.

"I met your friend, Chris." Nikki said. "He's a bit strange."

"What did he say to you?" asked Harry nervously.

"He said he wished me a speedy recovery and our every happiness together." Nikki repeated.

"After the party, you came back to my place.." Nikki continued, it could have been a question or a statement. Harry wasn't sure.

"Leo, sent me to keep an eye on you, and you were supposed to watch out for me, make sure I didn't do anything stupid after my dose of Special K." Harry explained.

"Oh yes." said Nikki, as a few more pieces of the jigsaw of her memories slotted into place.

Just then Leo finally returned with the doctor. The doctor began to check her pupils and ask the routine questions, Leo and Harry retreated to the end of the bed.

"You look better for some sleep." Leo said kindly.

"Yes, I think I feel better, but maybe it's just because Nikki's awake." Harry replied.

"You have to be prepared for the fact that she is unlikely to... erm remember much of what happened before she blacked out." Leo said.

"I know." said Harry tiredly. "But more importantly she's awake and the doctor seems reasonably pleased.

The checks over the doctor told them all that Nikki would need to stay in for at least 24 hours for observation but he was expecting a full recovery.

"Thank you Dr." said Leo and gave Nikki a kiss on the cheek.

"That's brilliant news, isn't it." Leo said brightly.

Both men settled down by her bedside, relieved the team were back together again.

"That was an unusual New Year's party." Leo said conversationally.

"Not one, I'm repeating in a hurry." said Harry.

"So you mean I didn't miss any marriage proposals, or winning the lottery?" Nikki asked.

Leo quickly looked across at Harry, "No, no fairy tale endings."

"Good," said Nikki. "I was always disappointed with those endings as a child, so unrealistic"

"Oh, Nikki! I have really missed you." Leo laughed.

They chatted easily for a while. With Nikki back, peace was restored between the two men as there was no reason to blame the other for Nikki's condition.

"I think I might have a rest now. Will you stay please?" Nikki said and yawned.

"I might pop home, if that's ok. But I'll come back later," said Leo.

"I could ask Janet if she could collect you some things."

"Thanks Leo, that would be kind." Nikki murmured.

"I'll stay" said Harry.

"Thanks Harry, Oh and if Chris brings you any more food, don't eat it!" she continued.

"What?" asked both men, but Nikki was already drifting into a restful sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

Harry was getting bored now Leo had gone home. And he'd slept so well last night considering he was balanced between a plastic chair and a hospital bed but his mind was restless. He'd tracked down a few number puzzles but he was still too edgy and kept making mistakes. It was so frustrating. He wanted Nikki to wake up again. She remembered so much. Would she remember what he had said to her?

Would he have to tell her again?

Could he tell her again?

He couldn't do it now, not when she was recovering. He'd have to wait. He remembered the taste of her lips and the feel of her hands against his back..

"Oh Nikki," he said out loud. "Why can't there be a happy ending for once?"

She stirred in her sleep but didn't open her eyes.

He must have dozed off again, as the next thing he remembered was her calling his name again.

"Harry!"

"Mmm what?" he mumbled.

"Harry!" she cried again happily.

He lifted his head to look at her and was rewarded with one of the most fantastic smiles he had ever seen. It was one of her best ones, with a hint of humour and mischief, happiness and contentment, and the sadness banished to the far distance.

"Nikki, what is it?" Harry asked.

"I thought in the stories the handsome prince was supposed to kiss the princess to wake her up, not send her to sleep." Nikki said.

"I thought you didn't like fairy stories." Harry retorted.

"I said, I didn't like unrealistic endings." Nikki repeated.

"So you mean, the princess falling asleep for 100 years after the prince kisses her and ending up in A&E on New Year's Eve is more realistic" Harry explained.

Nikki let out a throaty chuckle. "For us Harry, I think it seems about right."

Harry let out a deep sigh.

She was back!

She really was back and …..

she remembered!

"Unless you'd be happier with a Greek Tragedy." Nikki asked.

"I really don't want to end up marrying my mother," Harry spluttered.

"Happy ending?" Nikki asked tentatively

"I hope so." Harry replied his eyes searching her face to try and find out just how much she remembered and how much she was fishing.

"I will always have hope." Nikki said seriously.

Harry sat up on the edge of the bed and took her hand. Do you remember it all, or would you like me to show you the highlights? A glint of mischief playing in his eyes now.

"I'm pretty sure I heard mention of a holiday, in the Bahama's was it and then later there was something about a desk and paperwork...?" she giggled.

Harry gazed down at her and moved his face close to hers as if he were going to kiss her. But at the last minute moved slightly and whispered into her ear, "You can have the holiday, my desk and I will do your paperwork forever, just promise you will never leave me."

Nikki was at first disappointed not to receive the kiss she had been anticipating but the tone of his voice so low, husky and serious in her ear took her by surprise. She cupped his face in her hands and looked directly into his eyes. She suddenly remembered how he had looked at her before she had collapsed. This time was just the same, and this time she couldn't blame the after effects of any drug. There was no other explanation. He really must be in love with her.

"I promise." she answered.

"Looks like I'll have to speak to Leo." said Harry seriously.

"What! You wouldn't leave!" she cried.

"No, seems like I'll be needing a new desk." he smiled.

Nikki punched him playfully on the arm.

Harry just leant down and kissed her.

"Harry, stop." Nikki said.

Harry quickly pulled away from her and inhaled sharply. Without daring to open his eyes he said.

"No, not again Nikki. Are you trying to kill me? I can't stop, not now, please you can't do this to me." he begged.


	30. Chapter 30

"Harry!" she said again.

"What?" he asked desperately holding his temper at bay.

"Close the curtains!" Nikki demanded.

"What?" he repeated, staring at her, hardly daring to believe he had heard correctly.

"Close the curtains, Harry and be quick!" she said her beautiful smile turning into a light chuckle.

"Really?" Harry asked, his eyes wide. This was a bit adventurous. Harry inhaled quickly. What was it she had told George in that game? Oh yes. 'Adventurous, hot, familiar and wild. Bring it on!' he thought.

"You're sure?" he asked again.

Nikki raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Your wish is my command, my angel." said Harry, and swept the curtains closed with a flourish.

"Don't you dare call me that again," she laughed.

"Something less than angelic on your mind?" he teased.

"Harry!" she growled. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"Oh, I can assure you, you can ask me anytime you like." he smiled lasciviously and jumped onto the edge of the bed next to her, swinging his legs up onto the covers and pulled what he hoped was a seductive face.

Nikki couldn't stop herself from laughing.

'How could a woman that tiny have such a deep throated laugh,' he wondered. He would never tire of hearing her laugh.

Then she gave him a hefty shove with her elbow.

Harry crashed to the floor.

"Ow!" he said pointedly, his head suddenly reappearing over the edge of the bed.

Nikki was fighting for breath she was laughing so hard.

"Is everything all right?" asked a nurse, pulling back the curtains and peering in.

"Are you asking me if I've sustained any injuries after my new girlfriend here has just pushed me out of her bed, or are you asking if I've finally figured out how to get all the things I wanted in life but never knew how to go about getting and in a broader sense about the possibility of our future happiness together?" Harry asked in the most serious tone he could muster.

"Oh Harry!" Nikki began to giggle again.

The nurse just scowled at Harry. "The patient here is under observation, you cannot close these curtains, and you will have to stick to visiting hours today. I will not have my patients exhausted." She paused for breath and then asked "Hang on, she just called you Harry. Are you Harry Cunningham?"

Harry had a quick moment of panic, when he thought the ghost of girlfriend's past had come to wreak havoc on him yet again. The timing really was atrocious. But this nurse was much too young, even for him.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Harry Cunningham." he said nervously.

"It's just someone left an envelope for you, I'll go get it." the nurse said.

She returned moments later with the envelope and passed it to Harry.

He opened it to reveal a business card with Chris's name and details.

"There's something written on the back." Nikki said.

Harry flipped the card over, it read,

**_"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" Hebrews 6 v 19_**

_'Don't leave it another 6 years. Call me'_

"What does he mean?" Nikki asked. "He seemed a bit strange when I met him, and he claimed he put some homeopathic sleeping remedy in the food he gave you."

"Oh good for him, so that's how I finally got to sleep." Harry said.

"Harry, he had no right" Nikki began but was interrupted by a kiss.

"Nikki, it's fine, I'm fine, you're fine, it's the best thing that could have happened, unorthodox maybe but I don't think he really keeps much to the rule book." Harry said.

"He's been a good someone else I've collided with." Harry continued.

"What does he mean about the 6 years?" Nikki asked again.

"He's telling me, to do what I should have done all along and not be such a coward." Harry said confidently.

Nikki suddenly realised what the 6 years referred to.

"Really?" she asked. "The whole time!"

"Pretty much." agreed Harry.

"And you?" he asked.

"Maybe, I didn't think I was your type for a long time but who's counting?" Nikki said and then added.

"But why does he need you to call him, please tell me he's not going to be your new best friend?" Chris's comments always seemed to confuse her. But as the words left her mouth she realised exactly what the words Chris had written meant. Her hand flew to her mouth and instead of letting Harry reply said,

"Well if the nurses are going to have to watch, you'd better make the kissing good.!"

Harry leant over and kissed her chastely on the lips. He could feel the stares of the nurses and the see the quizzical look Nikki was giving him.

So he sat on the edge of her bed, carefully keeping one foot on the floor and pulled her into one of his hugs. He kissed the top of her head, and breathed in. It felt so good to hold her, and to know he wouldn't have to pull away for the sake of propriety in a moment. The longer he held her the more he regained the feeling of contentment he'd had in his dream earlier. He began to feel her body relax against his and he gently stroked her shoulder.

Nikki snuggled tightly against Harry's chest. She wasn't entirely sure what Harry was planning, but here in his arms it didn't seem to matter. She thought back to many of the other times they had been in a similar position. Outside, in the cold after that suspect package, Leo's office, the back of a car in the middle of nowhere, Leo's hospital bedside, The airport. The office. It didn't matter at all where they were, she just knew they had to be together. This was right, she couldn't explain it but she knew it was true.

"We have all the time in the world now." Harry whispered into her ear. "Who needs to rush?"

"Amen" replied Nikki again from deep in his chest.

**

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**That's it, Happy Christmas everyone. I know you all have wonderful imaginations so you can all imagine the next bit or feel free to post your own next chapter...you know if I do it it'll be a cheese fest and no one needs that! Thanks to the wonderful Charlotte, her youtube clips are the only way to keep my Harry sharp. Lilypad for making me laugh and Immortal Spud Thief who I admire tremendously for enjoying my efforts and liking my Harry, for the lovely reviews and everyone else who has had taken the time to read. Thank you all. D**

**May the hope of Christmas be with you all in 2011**

**p.s. who spotted the angels then, I want to know!**

**All Silent Witness Characters and situations belong to the BBC, Bruce Willis to himself. I just have the security guards, nurses and hospital chaplain.**


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